Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 26

Cinderkit's POV:

Cinderkit whimpered from where she hid under Bluesnow's belly with the rest of her nest-mates. Why was Shadeheart being punished? He hadn't done anything wrong!

"Make NoName stop!" Flintkit cried to Bluesnow. "Don't let her hurt Papa!"

Bluesnow nosed Flintkit comfortingly, urging him and the rest of the kits to look away from the great boulder. "I can't do that. Please don't look, Shadeheart will be fine. We just have to wait."

"Why don't you take them back to the nest?" Flowerstream murmured to Bluesnow. "Mine are still in there with Flare's."

"They wanted to come.. And I don't feel safe sending them back on their own now." The blue she cat sighed, glancing around the clearing which was full to the brim with intimidating Dark Forest warriors and desperate prisoners.

"And you have the be here for your mate." Flowerstream added softly, her gaze turning to Shadeheart, who was wailing atop the rock as NoName grabbed him.

Cinderkit bit her lip in fright as she watched the tyrant pin her father down with the help of Dime. NoName extended her claws, grinning crazily as she prepared to bring them down upon Shadeheart's face. The young Enforcer wriggled feebily, his head hanging off the edge of the great rock. Directly below him sat the rest of the Enforcers, whos' tails were twitching, their bodies tense.

"Now you must pay, my son!" NoName declared, striking Shadeheart's face with her claws. Blood sprayed from the initial slice, splattering over the cats in the front of the crowd- that included Bluesnow, who whimpered and ducked her head to look away. Cinderkit looked past her mother, unable to take her eyes off her struggling father. Was no one going to oppose this? It was barbaric! She wanted to scream for NoName to stop but the little grey she kit knew that would only end badly.

Blood dripped from the fresh slice running along Shadeheart's cheek, splattering onto the ground where the Enforcers sat. Spectrum rose to her paws, seemingly ready to launch into action, but she stayed still for the time being.

NoName struck Shadeheart again, hitting the same spot as before. Shadeheart shrieked and writhed against his mother and father, spitting blood at them both, but it didn't stop NoName and Dime.

However, as NoName raised her paw for the third attack and Shadeheart braced himself with a small whimper, there was an explosion of light upon the tall boulder, and Cinderkit lost sight of her father.

Cries swept across the clearing as the light quickly faded to reveal a she cat with unnaturally green and white fur. Her amber eyes were a blaze of fury as she stood over Shadeheart, with NoName and Dime stumbling backwards in surprise. Cinderkit lost sight of the two evil Dark Forest leaders, but she didn't care. She was too entranced by the newcomer. Who was she? Where had she come from?

Her thick fur swayed in the breeze that had picked up around them. Four foreign objects hung from her tail, creating a sweet melody as they chimed together in the wind. The newcomer commanded silence across the clearing. She stood tall, her head held high with importance. Her lips formed an arrogant frown.

The silence was shattered as the green and white she cat suddenly screeched furiously, her body trembling with the force of her cry. "Stay away from my son, you monster!"

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Shadeheart's POV:

All he could see was her green and white fur towering over him. He barely registered her scream over the pulsing blood in his ears. "Stay away from my son, you monster!"

"Son?" Shadeheart coughed, attempting to rise. The strange she cat stepped aside to allow him to sit up, but she didn't look at him. She stepped in front of him, like a shield between him and NoName. Dime had disappeared off the rock like the coward he was, but in his place was Strike and Tyler. The three siblings glared at the green and white she cat in utter surprise and shock.

"He is not your son!" NoName snapped fiercely as she attempted to push her way to Shadeheart, but she was shoved back by the bigger she cat.

"You have no right to him anymore. Not after that stunt you just pulled." The green and white she cat declared.

Shadeheart stammered quietly. "What's going on?" The strange she cat turned to him for the first time, and he jolted in surprise. Her eyes. They were identical to his own.

"I shouldn't have let this happen to you Shadeheart." The she cat murmured softly to him. "But it was the best way to cover my mistake."

"What mistake?" Shadeheart muttered, pawing at his bleeding wound as it stung. "What's going on?" He demanded, growing impatient.

"I'm your true mother, Shadeheart." The green and white she cat meowed. "My name is.. Skystar and I'm from StarClan."

Shadeheart didn't know what to be shocked at first. The claim that she was his true mother, or the fact that she was a StarClan leader.

"She's lying!" NoName hissed at Shadeheart, her voice trembling with sudden distress. "Don't listen to her!"

He looked at the red she cat. She was practically in tears. He spoke slowly to her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" NoName cried, trying again to approach him, only for Skystar to threaten her a second time. "I'm sorry for what I did to you but I had to! You have to understand that it's for your own good. StarClan doesn't understand, and they're trying to get in my way again!"

"No mother has the need to harm their kit." Skystar growled. "And I've had enough of watching on the sidelines while you hurt him repeatedly. I was a fool to trust you."

Shadeheart's head was spinning. He could barely make out what the two she cats were saying. He wasn't sure what was the truth anymore. Was Skystar really his mother? If that was so, then was Dime really his father? Why did NoName raise him? What could possibly possess a StarClan warrior to let her kit be brought up by a Dark Forest conqueror?

No, it can't be the truth. Shadeheart shook his head, flattening his ears. Her eyes are a coincidence. Loads of cats have golden eyes... She isn't my mother. There's no way I can be related to a StarClan warrior. He didn't even know if StarClan cats could even kit anyway. Skystar had to be lying! But why? Why now? Why now was his heritage being questioned?

A new voice sliced through Shadeheart's train of thought. Dime. His father snarled at Skystar from below the boulder. "How dare you come here to claim him now? You gave Shadeheart to us! Now stop trying to ruin our family you StarClan filth!"

Shadeheart's heart skipped a beat. No.. Dime thinks this is true? Could it really be?

The Dark Forest warriors were starting to surround the boulder, leaving Skystar no escape. The StarClan warrior didn't seem to care, she simply continued to stand tall in front of Shadeheart. An impenetrable barrier of green and white. "You stole him from me. It was my mistake to let you do so."

"I only took what was rightfully mine, Shadeheart is my kit too. You let us keep him so he is ours!" Dime strode to NoName's side, his green eyes filled with anger towards Skystar. "And now you will die for coming here."

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